Expand Your Vocabulary for IELTS Writing & Speaking (Part 1)

Read the passage below and take note of useful vocabulary & expressions for IELTS

What’s your learning mode?

Which style best sums you up as a person?

“That looks good to me.”

“That sounds good to me.”

“ That feels good to me.”

Experts say that these cues suggest a person’s learning modality. The first expressionreflects a visual person. The second an auditory person. The third a kinesthetic person. It simply means that a visual person learns through seeing, an auditory person learns through hearing and kinesthetic person learns through moving, doing and touching.

To help you understand the three learning modes better, here are additional cues used by learners of different styles.The visual person might say such things as “it appears to me”, “bird’s eye view”, “pretty as a picture”, “catch a glimpse of”, “hazy idea”, “eye to eye”, and “the mind’s eye”. The auditory person might say such things as “we are all ears”, “it’s clear as a bell”, “it rings a bell”, “describe in detail”, “voice an opinion”, “unheard of “. The kinesthetic person might say such things as “hang in there”, “come to grips with”, “lay your cards on the table”, “start from scratch”, “too much hassle”, “get in touch with”, “pull some strings”.

If you know your boss is a visual person, would you voice your opinion or would you get your point across using visual materials such as slides and easy-to-read handouts?

If you know that a colleague is a kinesthetic person who tends to speak slowly, maybe you could slow down to create a better understanding and rapport.

If you find that college students are fumbling in your class, even though they did well in high school, wouldn’t you want to find out why in order to teach more effectively?

Perhaps there’s a conflict between the students’ preferred learning mode and your teaching style. Perhaps the majority of your students are visual learners and you are a mostly auditory teacher.

Remember how we learned as kids? We learned faster through visual and kinesthetic modes! It’s important to find out your personal learning mode and that of your family members and key contacts in your company. If you are a teacher or a trainer, and it’s difficult to cater to each learning mode, a good method is to combine visual, auditory and kinesthetic modes in your teaching.

So what is your learning mode?

Allow me to describe these modes from the book, ‘Quantum Learning” by Bobbi Depotter and Mike Hernacki. If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose, doodle during phone conversations and meetings, like art more than music and often forget to relay verbal messages to others.

If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions, like jokes better than comics, like music more than art and speak at an average speed in rhythmic patterns.

If you are a kinesthetic person, you speak slowly, respond to physical rewards, touch people to get their attention, move a lot, learn by doing, memorize by walking and seeing, use a finger as a pointer when reading, gesture a lot. Use action words, like to be involved in games, want to act things out and like plot-oriented books that have action.

This does not mean that we do not learn in all of these modalities. We do. It’s just that we prefer one over the other. Knowing your style can help you learn faster and easier. Knowing how to decipher the learning styles of others will help you strengthen your rapport with them and help them learn more effectively, too.

Useful words and Expressions

mode (v): how something is done or how it happens ⇒ “What’s your learning mode?”

cue (n): a stimulus that provides information about what to do ⇒ “Experts say that these cues suggest a person’s learning modality.”

style (n): a particular kind (as to appearance) ⇒ “Which style best sums you up as a person?”

get in touch with: establish communication with someone ⇒ “The kinesthetic person might say such things as “hang in there”, “come to grips with”, “lay your cards on the table”, “start from scratch”, “too much hassle”, “get in touch with”.

pull strings: influence or control shrewdly or deviously ⇒ “The kinesthetic person might say such things as “hang in there”, “come to grips with”, “lay your cards on the table”, “start from scratch”, “too much hassle”, “get in touch with”, “pull some strings“.

get across: become clear or enter one’s consciousness or emotions ⇒ “Would you get your point across using visual materials such as slides and easy-to-read handouts?”.

easy-to-read: easy to understand through reading ⇒ “Would you get your point across using visual materials such as slides and easy-to-read handouts?”.

handout (n): an announcement distributed to members of the press in order to supplement or replace an oral presentation ⇒ “Would you get your point across using visual materials such as slides and easy-to-read handouts?”.

colleague (n): a person who is member of one’s class or profession ⇒ “If you know that a colleague is a kinesthetic person who tends to speak slowly, maybe you could slow down to create a better understanding and rapport.”

rapport (n): a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people ⇒ “If you know that a colleague is a kinesthetic person who tends to speak slowly, maybe you could slow down to create a better understanding and rapport.”

fumble (n): dropping the ball (sports) ⇒ “If you find that college students are fumbling in your class.”

conflict (n): an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals) ⇒ “Perhaps there’s a conflict between the students’ preferred learning mode and your teaching style.”

mostly (adv): in large part, mainly or chiefly ⇒ “Perhaps the majority of your students are visual learners and you are a mostly auditory teacher.”

contact (n): close interaction ⇒ “It’s important to find out your personal learning mode and that of your family members and key contacts in your company.”

cater (v): give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance ⇒ “It’s difficult to cater to each learning mode.”

combine (v): put or add together ⇒ “A good method is to combine visual, auditory and kinesthetic modes in your teaching.”

quantum (n): the smallest discrete quantity of some physical property that a system can possess (according to quantum theory) ⇒ “Allow me to describe these modes from the book, “Quantum Learning” by Bobbi Depotter and Mike Hernacki.”

observant (adj): paying close attention especially to details ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind.”

memorize (v): learn by heart ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association.”

association (n): a formal organization of people or groups of people ⇒”If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association.”

overall (adj): involving only main features ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose.”

view (n): a way of regarding situations or topics ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose.”

purpose (n): the quality of being determined to do or achieve something ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose.”

doodle (v): draw aimlessly ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose, doodle during phone conversations and meetings, like art more than music and often forget to relay verbal messages to others.”

relay (v): pass along ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose, doodle during phone conversations and meetings, like art more than music and often forget to relay verbal messages to others.”

verbal (adj): of or relating to or formed from words in general ⇒ “If you are a visual person, you are observant, can see words in your mind, remember more of what was seen than heard, memorize by visual association, read and speak fast, would rather read than be read to, need an overall view and purpose, doodle during phone conversations and meetings, like art more than music and often forget to relay verbal messages to others.”

eloquent (adj): expressing yourself clearly ⇒ “If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions.”

go into: to come ⇒ “If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions.”

lengthy (adj): relatively long in duration ⇒ “If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions.”

comic (n): a professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts ⇒ “If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions, like jokes better than comics.”

average (adj): approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value ⇒ “If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions, like jokes better than comics, like music more than art and speak at an average speed in rhythmic patterns.”

rhythmic (adj): recurring with measured regularity ⇒ “If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions, like jokes better than comics, like music more than art and speak at an average speed in rhythmic patterns.”

pattern (n): a perceptual structure ⇒ ” If you are an auditory person, you talk to yourself while working, enjoy reading aloud and listening, are better at telling than writing, are an eloquent speaker, remember what was discussed rather than seen, go into lengthy discussions, like jokes better than comics, like music more than art and speak at an average speed in rhythmic patterns.”

respond (v): show a response or a reaction to something ⇒ “If you are a kinesthetic person, you speak slowly, respond to physical rewards, touch people to get their attention, move a lot.”

physical (adj): involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit ⇒ “If you are a kinesthetic person, you speak slowly, respond to physical rewards, touch people to get their attention, move a lot.”

pointer (n): an indicator as on a dial ⇒ “To memorize by walking and seeing, use a finger as a pointer when reading, gesture a lot.”

gesture (v): motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling ⇒ “To memorize by walking and seeing, use a finger as a pointer when reading, gesture a lot.”

be involved in: connected by participation or association or use ⇒ “Use action words, like to be involved in games.”

act out (adj): represent or perform as if in a play ⇒ “Use action words, like to be involved in games, want to act things out and like plot-oriented books that have action.”

plot-oriented (adj): show the way of doing something ⇒ “Use action words, like to be involved in games, want to act things out and like plot-oriented books that have action.”

decipher (v): read with difficulty ⇒ “Knowing how to decipher the learning styles of others will help you strengthen your rapport with them and help them learn more effectively, too.”

strengthen (v): make strong or stronger ⇒ “Knowing how to decipher the learning styles of others will help you strengthen your rapport with them and help them learn more effectively, too.”

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" IELTSGeneral.Net is a brand new blog dedicated to bringing the IELTS General Community together. It offers you free IELTS Materials/ Books/Tips, Helps, Advice, Interactive Forum about IELTS General Training Module.From these pages I hope you can maximize your IELTS score.
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IELTSGeneral.Net is a brand new blog dedicated to bringing the IELTS General Community together. It offers you free IELTS Materials/ Books/Tips, Helps, Advice, Interactive Forum about IELTS General Training Module.

From these pages I hope you can maximize your IELTS score.

Thanks for dropping by IELTS General blog and we sincerely hope you soon feel at home here with us and get the IELTS score you need and deserve!